Standard Abbreviation Code for BIBBA Hive Record Cards

Written mainly by Beowulf A. Cooper, the information on this page has
been garnered from notes taken by myself and includes the fruit of several
peoples experience of beekeeping records over the period between 1945 and 1970.
Information has also been taken from a folded card guide published by BIBBA,
that had the code number VBRC/7 and a similar folded card, also published by
BIBBA, coded RC7 and dated 1978, which had an
ISBN 0 905369 78 5.

The code of abbreviations was devised to assist precise data entry on
to the columns of BIBBA colony record cards. The use of these conventions should
enable any one person's records to be fully understood by any other reader.

Counting and Observing... If the facts are countable, eg. frames of
brood, queencells, hive weight or number of boxes, enter the actual figure. A
non-numerical observation should be entered by description, in code, eg.
broodnest shape.

Estimates... Where the observation has to be estimated scoring should
be on a percentage basis. Each vertical column is headed by a 'virtue', and the
convention that Beo intended was that 100 marks would be awarded where the
virtue is fully apparent, or 0 marks would be scored where it is wholly lacking,
but many beekeepers actually simplify this by adopting a zero to nine scale or a zero to ten scale.

Disease... When at the hive side, one can only record general symptoms
or suspicions, rather than the confirmed presence of disease. Scoring must be
interpreted as meaning just symptoms or evidence of the problem in question, no
more.

Only four states of severity of disease are recognised...

0

where the trouble is absent (eg. AGO = no acarine symptoms seen),

1

a trace seen,

2

= a moderate attack is evident,

3

= a bad dose is noted (eg. AC3).

It should go without saying that sincerity is essential, all scorings
must be scrupulously honest. By all means add to your entry why you think some
item is not as you had hoped, but do not bias the scoring. If you do, you are
only kidding yourself. The bees are not genetically improved by a faked,
exaggerated or minimised entry. To do so will only mislead you, or others, into
propagating or culling the wrong parent.

Before I list the codes themselves I must describe the "attention
attractors". I personally never understood the need for these, as to my mind
you should read all data thoroughly when making your assessments. However I will
detail them for completeness sake.

(below a marking) = a major breeding fault - don't overlook. Enclose the marking
and letter F in a bold square and enter a brief note in FAULTS box.

(below a marking) = a major breeding virtue - don*t overlook. Enclose the marking
and letter V in a bold circle and enter a brief note in VIRTUES box.

Where hive boxes are being noted the deep form is implied by the term
(eg. N = National deep, NS = National Shallow).

The list below gives alternatives for some abbreviations, this is
mainly because several systems were already in use before the standardisation
was agreed upon and carried out. The list is extensive and some of the items may
seem trivial, but they have been included for completeness sake. Some of the
terms are only applicable in the UK because of the design of equipment available.

Where there are pages on this website that are relevant to the codes
or descriptions the links will take you to the page concerned, which will open
in a new window that will require closing in order to return to this page.

Admixed bees, a warning that stock will show indications at variance from what
might be expected of progeny of the queen heading the hive, due to accident or
manipulation, eg. adding brood, uniting, requeening switching hive position,
swarms joining up. Some factors may show an intermediate state between those of
of their constituents, or one factor (eg. PQN or Following) may override others.
Repeat the entry until all the pre-admixture bees have died off.

Till Well Smoked (as TS, but needing much more smoke to subdue effectively)

UG

=

Uniting done (this stock Gains bees)

UL

=

Uniting done (this stock Loses bees)

UQ

=

Unmarked Queen

=

Virtue !- Do Not Overlook

vg

=

very good

VJ

=

Varroa Jacobsoni (varroasis)

VQ

=

Virgin Queen

wbw

=

wrong beeway (bad bee space)

WML

=

Wax Moth, Large (Galleria Mellonella)

WMS

=

Wax Moth, Small (Achroia Grisella)

WW

=

Wet Weather

WWP

=

Wet Weather Previously

xl or XL

=

excellent

YSf

=

Yorkshire Spacer Frames

Some of the terms that appear in the above list are uncommon or have
gone out of use in the time since the code was first defined and standardised,
but they have been left in the list because they have been widely published in
the past and some old record cards may still have such terms inscribed on them.
The extent and detail of the terminology give an insight into the ordered Teutonic mind of Beo
Cooper. I have a passion for completeness and detail myself and took part in many
a pedantic discussion about some of the terms, the details of which are now long
forgotten.